Voyages
by Vampiric Charms
Summary: Lin and Pema have a chat about "hero worship", and what it means for those involved in their lives - specifically for Meelo. And perhaps for Pema herself.


**Set after the end of Season 1 while everyone is still in the South Pole.**

**This is also posted on my AO3 account, along with a few others I've written for Avatar (Last Airbender and Korra). Enjoy!**

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><p><strong>Voyages<strong>

"Do another, do another!"

Lin let out a thin breath through her nose and turned around in the snow, trying to lose the little Airbender from her view. Meelo was not to be ignored, however, and he spun around her on a sphere of air, a huge smile on his face as muddy slush flew up around him and across Lin's chest. He had essentially been attached to her since she'd attempted escape from the overbearing heat of the small room she had been given in Katara's home. In fact, this had happened every time she left her room _at all_, Meelo following her around endlessly.

"Another, chief, another!"

"Fine," Lin grumbled, planting her back foot lazily and raising her left arm with a flick of the wrist.

A large rock burst through the snow, shifting its shape to take on that of a beardog. Meelo shrieked with giggles, using a gust of air to jump up onto the sculpture's head. "Wings! Give it wings!"

She didn't try to argue this time, just shifting her fingers to make delicate wings sprout from the figure's back so she could walk away while he was distracted by climbing over the thing. Suddenly, though, the small boy launched himself toward her and latched directly to her back. Lin stumbled forward, not expecting the bodily contact when he had been so far away just a moment ago. She attempted to turn to glare at him, an angry scowl on her face, but with where he was on her back she couldn't get a good look, the child merely moving with her and keeping out of her gaze, laughing merrily all the while.

"What are you doing, kid!" she demanded heatedly, reaching for him without use.

Meelo scrambled onto her shoulders, making her lurch again as she adjusted to handle his weight. "Playing with my Aunt Lin! Can I call you that? Is it okay if I call you that? Aunt Lin? Auntie Lin? Chief Lin? Will you make another rock now?"

"Get _off_ me, you filthy little -!"

"Meelo."

The calm, quiet voice made both of them turn around quickly with wide eyes, as if they'd been caught doing something wrong. Meelo tottered on Lin's shoulders and grabbed at her hair for balance before using a puff of air to push himself back up again. It hit Lin in the face in the process and she nearly fell, her heavy boot hitting the ground hard to keep them both upright. Pema almost laughed at the sight, but she bit her lip.

"Meelo, sweetheart, your grandmother is making your favorite dinner and would like your help in the kitchen." His mother smiled fondly at him as he jumped down off of Lin, completely forgetting their rock sculptures, to make a mad dash for Katara's house and the prospect of food.

As soon as the child was out of sight, Pema turned her gaze to Lin, who was putting her hair back in place and using her bending to get the muddy snow off her clothes and face. "I, um, apologize for nearly losing my temper with your son."

Pema nodded gently, lowering her eyes. "It appears Meelo has taken to you with a bit of hero worship."

"What?" Lin snapped, her lips tight and turned down at the corners. "What have I ever done to that child to gain this – this hero worship? I didn't ask for a constant second shadow. I don't even _like_ kids."

Her companion was silent, leaning back against one of the many statues – this one a wolfbat – and clasped her hands, a melancholy expression on her face. She and Lin had never really gotten on well and, not counting the one time she had thrown Pema in jail on some fluffed up charge many, many years ago, this may have been the first time they had ever been alone together. If circumstances had been different all that time ago, Pema was almost certain they may have been friends. _Almost_. She knew better than to say any of that out loud, especially when Lin was stuck here in the South Pole with her entire family seemingly against her will, with nowhere to else to go while she continued to heal.

"You don't get to choose when children take a liking to you," Pema said instead, a small smile finally coming out for this woman her husband used to be in love with. "Though, with Meelo…" She paused, swallowing as she thought about her next words and the impact they might have. "I happen to know for a fact he fell for you when you destroyed that airship. He said so."

"Oh, well." Lin met her stare briefly before cutting her own to the snow-bright horizon, not sure what to say.

"I can try to keep Meelo preoccupied while you're training in the mornings," Pema offered timidly, sensing Lin's discomfort and unable to quell it. "Or at least, as often as I can. It's difficult, with the new baby -"

"It's _fine_," the other woman interrupted much more harshly than she intended.

Pema pushed away from the statue and took a few steps toward Lin, who stiffened at the sound of her approaching steps. She nearly pulled away completely when she placed a warm hand on her shoulder, the brown wool of her coat chilly under her touch. "I'm sorry, Chief Beifong," she said softly. "I did not mean to open any old wounds."

Despite her body language, Lin did not jerk back – though it took a great deal of restraint not to do so. "There were no wounds to open. Your apology is unnecessary."

"I suppose," Pema relented evenly, dropping her hand to her side again. "I do still owe you a great debt, though, even if Meelo is taking his gratitude a bit too far."

Lin scoffed, jutting out a hip and turning her back to her completely, knowing exactly what she was bringing up and wanting to shut the conversation down before it could get very far. "I didn't do it for you."

The younger woman crossed her arms around her abdomen, feeling uncomfortable with the insinuation. "Then what you did for Tenzin."

"I didn't do it for _Tenzin_, either," she barked bitterly, still not able to take her eyes away from the shifting afternoon clouds and content to pretend the burning was from the sting of cold air. "Your marriage is quite safe from me."

"I don't -"

"Your children, Pema," she pointed out bluntly, features pinched when she finally spun around to meet the surprised face waiting for her. "I would never have let those ruthless people hurt your children, last Airbenders or not. Just how heartless do you think I am?"

"Oh, Lin, no, I never -"

"Forget it." She waved her hand dismissively, taking a step forward to walk away.

Without thinking, Pema reached out and grabbed her wrist. Lin stopped in her tracks, turning her head quickly to stare down at the fingers latched to her. Color stained Pema's cheeks at the bold move she had made. If she'd actually used any kind of proper judgment, she never would have done that. "Wait. Please."

Lin just looked at her, green eyes smoldering.

"Thank you," Pema whispered. "For protecting my children in a way I couldn't."

"It didn't work -"

Her words were choked off when Pema tugged her wrist to bring the other woman into a tight hug. Lin, too surprised to resist, fell against her, her taller frame immediately going rigid with unease. Pema wouldn't release her, just fitting her arms around her more firmly. "Thank you," she murmured into Lin's hair. "Meelo does not choose his friends lightly, and neither do I."

Lin made a humming noise in the back of her throat, at a loss for words as her arms hung limply at her sides. It had been such a long time since she had had this kind of close human contact that she didn't quite know what to do with herself. Pema was such a kind person, always willing to touch someone when the need arose, at such odds with her own personality. But after the weeks of fear and worry, and her own personal crisis at the hands of Amon that she refused to speak of to anyone…this was almost more than she could take, just as much as part of her heart craved it more than anything. She blinked quickly before squeezing her eyes closed to keep the previous burning from growing worse or, Spirits forbid, she actually began to cry.

After another long, silent moment, Pema loosened her hold and Lin leaned back, her face thankfully composed.

"I am glad you are with us," Pema said softly. "And I am glad you are all right."

Lin nodded, taking a step backward and making to turn. She paused briefly, a small grin pulling on one corner of her lips as she glanced back over her shoulder. "You can – can let Meelo know I'll make more rock sculptures with him tomorrow."

"I'll do that!"

"And I do not want to be called 'Aunt' anything, got it?" she mumbled, digging a toe into the snow to find some icy earth underneath, something that made her think of her mother and somehow helped keep her calm out here in this frostbitten wasteland that some people called home.

Pema smiled warmly. "I'll make sure to have a talk with him about that, too."

Lin straightened, meeting her eyes again. "I'm not a hero, Pema."

"To some of us, Lin, you are." She came forward and touched her arm, the contact not so awkward this time. "And that is all that matters."


End file.
